


Misunderstanding

by Shtrigga



Category: The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: Domestic, Fluff, Gen, Humorous Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-11 07:42:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5619061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shtrigga/pseuds/Shtrigga
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Anders made yet another joke about Dawn's cat, it became the last straw for her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Misunderstanding

**Author's Note:**

> a perfect art for this story  
> kudos to the author!  
> https://pp.vk.me/c629109/v629109809/283ad/nSIGJS7EIFQ.jpg

Dawn vaguely remembered what had happened that night. One minute she was in bed, sleeping peacefully, and then suddenly something heavy has fallen next to her, something that was as the matter of fact her half-asleep boss. And he did what? He just waved his hand to her – and a moment later she was driving home. 

The only thing she remembered quite well – this bloody icing on the cake – his yet another careless “I hope your cat didn't pee everywhere.” Each time Anders mentioned it, she wanted to strangle him, to use the mildest term. What was he getting at, anyway? That since she didn’t have a boyfriend, the company of a cat was perfectly logical and, even if she denied it, some fluffy pet would sooner or later find a way to her house? 

And not only that – Johnson would be bold and willful enough to bring this pet and hand it over to her _personally_ with a smile and “I told you so” shining in his eyes.

The conclusion was obvious – Dawn could tolerate Anders for only that much, but he couldn’t see the fine line between just a friendly banter and vexatious harassment. For now she’s decided to leave things as they are. But if she hears so much as a peep from this prick about the cat again… she’s gonna break something.

***

First day back in Auckland, and he’s already got his ass kicked. First some ugly girl at customs had the nerve to ignore his charming look, then his ungrateful big brother flew off the handle and smacked him literally for nothing (!), and to make things worse, he almost lost his powers and would’ve certainly died because of Axl’s fucking cold.

It would worth mentioning that Anders was in low spirits, lower than the sunken remains of the Titanic. The only thing that could save him at the end of the day was booze. And probably a nice dinner. But neither first nor second could materialize in his fridge by the wave of a magic wand. So, he needed to scrape his downcast ego off of the couch and go visit the nearest store. 

When Anders went out – _surprise, surprise_ – on top of everything else it began to rain. With quiet curses on his lips dedicated to the better half of the Norse pantheon the blond has thought that desperate times call for desperate measures and decided to take a shortcut through the dangerously looking side street which he didn’t usually dare step into by day. 

Half of the way he managed to pass quite successfully, avoiding the puddles and keeping his feet dry. But as Anders has reached litter bins, there was some distinct rustle under one of the grey newspapers. 

“Ew… bloody rats,” he winced, giving it a wide berth, just in case.

The newspaper rustled again, twitched, and an awfully sad grey snout emerged from underneath it. A small nose has taken a sniff of the air, cat’s almost transparent eyes have found Anders who stopped and looked back, perplexed. Having considered the blond to be grown-up and responsible, the little cat meowed soundlessly. The second time it could be described more as a demanding squeak. 

Johnson scratched his head, pressing raindrops into the hair. Homeless animals weren’t his cup of tea. Let someone else handle this problem. Because his plans for the next hour were to dine and to get wasted. 

He proceeded with walking, while the kitten, as if understanding that its last hope would be soon lost, produced a long miserable “Mew!”. Getting out of its makeshift shelter, it followed Anders.

“What do you want from me, eh?” the blond asked, a little impatiently. “I have no food if you’re wondering.” 

The kitten stopped, listening attentively to the voice, and Anders suddenly got angry at descending to a conversation with some soaking wet tiny creature. _Well done, Johnson… take him home, why don’t you. And all the women will be yours without even using Bragi._

The kitten meanwhile has taken time by the forelock and sat at his feet rubbing its ridiculously soft, small head against his leg. 

“Sorry, mate, can’t help you,” Anders mumbled even though this cut right through his heart.

In order not to make things worse he quickly put his foot aside, turned his back and left. Already turning round the corner he could hear a muffled squeak. 

In the store, after buying all the daily necessities that included two bottles of vodka and a frozen pizza, he stopped reflexively in front of the cat food section and then stared for a long time at the shelves with milk. Even though he himself bought it rarely. 

_Think about it, Anders. This ratlike bastard is probably gone already, hiding somewhere in the trash. Don’t you dare spend money on him!! … But… milk might be useful… with cornflakes… or coffee, right?_

Still in doubt, he took one plastic bottle, put it in the trolley, and suddenly it was s u c h a r e l i e f. But the final feeling of rightness was when Anders has chosen that same way to go home. He realized clearly the stupidity of his actions but still couldn’t help but peer into the dark corners of the alley. A bashful “kitty-kitty” passed his lips. But the answer was only the whisper of the rain drumming on the window sills. 

_It was obviously a bad idea to buy milk…_

When the alley was almost over and Anders could already see people passing by and the traffic area, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Flatten against the grey wall, a mouse-coloured ball sat quietly in the shadow. The blond didn’t know what he felt at this particular moment. There were both annoyance and… relief. 

Johnson squatted down three feet away from the kitten and let it sniff his palm showing there was nothing to be afraid of. The kitten touched the side of his hand, wrinkling its snout, and arched its back – a cue to pet it. That was what Anders’s been waiting for. He immediately grabbed the cat and hid it under his jacket. A second later little scared claws dug into his T-shirt… and his skin. The blond frowned but did nothing.

He never intended to keep it. He just wanted to give it some milk, share a slice of pizza and kick it out as soon as the rain stopped. He wanted to play a little with this happily purring ball of fur because he’s never had a pet bigger than a guinea pig before. 

He never intended to adopt any pets for that matter except for the fish but… 

Somehow the kitten has stayed. 

***

The days went by, and the outlines of revenge were gleaming in Dawn’s mind. Despite the fact that Anders behaved a bit more decent and serious than usual, she wasn’t going to forget. Not this time when she was deliberately ignored in order to be driven mad. 

_Well, Anders, you got what you wanted. I am mad._

Meanwhile an opportunity presented itself.

One day, sometime around ten she brought Anders some documents to sign and bent almost as close to see weird grey hair on the sleeve of his jacket. And the plan dawned on her. 

“Anders, look, you all covered in hair,” she noticed brushing it off. “Next time don’t let your cat sit on your clothes.” 

“Huh?” the blond lifted up his head, surprise evident in his eyes. It seemed like he wanted to say something but instead just nodded pensively and took the jacket off. 

_What the hell was that…?_

Dawn returned to her desk, at a loss for words. Was she talking too quiet? Didn’t he hear her? Well, fine, if she has a cat invented by Johnson’s perverse imagination, then he will also get one. And she will mention this stupid cat _at. every. opportunity!_

***

Soon the situation repeated. The job for the day was nearly done, and Anders sat at the conference table making a shopping list. 

\- sausages  
\- milk  
\- food for Barty  
\- bowl х2

Dawn couldn’t help but take a quick look.

“Barty?” she asked and sneered. “Not a bad name for a cat.” 

_Now come on, say what I want to hear! Say – I don’t have a cat, I don’t have a cat!!_

But Anders disappointed her.

“Thanks,” he nodded, not even looking up.

_And that’s it?!_

Dawn muttered something indignantly under her breath and walked out. Anders followed her with his eyes, failing to grasp what he did wrong this time to upset her. No wonder - he always did _something_ wrong. However, at this very moment all the thoughts, including the ones about his brothers and gods, temporarily went on the back burner because now the blond’s flat was inhabited by a defenseless purring thing, giving him more love and attention than anyone he ever knew.

Anders had forgotten since the childhood but started to remember what it was like to have a pet. Taking into account that his brothers could easily ruin anything in his life, he had sworn not to be emotionally involved even with his fish, let alone a whole cat. 

There was no limit to his anxiety – Anders even briefly visited his brothers and took on the sly all the duplicate keys from his apartment. Just in case. He was able to swallow it when Ty had frozen his fish, but the death of the kitten he would never forgive nor forget. 

_And here is the good question – how come Dawn found out?_

Little did he know…

***

During the next couple of weeks Anders was getting used to being a proud cat owner. He was reading the forums, taking Barty to a vet to vaccinate him, buying food and other stuff all kittens need – obviously without telling his brothers. Dawn, on her part, continued her pursuit of justice referring to a cat when possible. 

And that was slowly becoming to piss her off because Anders didn’t pay attention to her remarks AT ALL. 

“Anders, you’re late today. Could you please NOT play with the cat if you know you’re running late?”  
“Yeah, whatever you say, Dawnsie…” 

“Anders, if you spent less time with your cat, you’d be able to do your paperwork in time.”  
“Mmm… uh-huh…”

“Is it me or does it smell like cats in here?”  
“It’s probably you. I smell nothing.”

Long story short – Dawn was infuriated. Sometimes she wanted to slap him or snap his neck, but what killed her most was plain ignorance. Not only didn’t he laugh at her gibes… he just didn’t heed them. He didn’t consider her a threat! It’s always been the case with him – Anders neglected her, and that hurt. 

The last straw broke the camel’s back on Thursday afternoon. 

“Dawn, I’ll be out for half an hour. Will be back soon.”

“Wanna check on your cat?” she asked in ominous voice.

“Something like that,” he agreed opening the door.

“That’s it, Anders! I’m sick and tired of your impudence!” she exploded, jumping at her feet. “What a nerve you have!!”

“S-sorry?” the blond froze to the spot. For a moment there was something in his eyes that reminded her of a stricken animal. “What’s wrong with you, Dawn?”

“What’s wrong with me?? What’s wrong with _you_ , Anders?! If you enjoy making me a fair game, that’s perfectly fine, but when I tried to do something in return – you ignore me! Is it so difficult to suppress your stupendous ego for a second and just say «I don't have a cat, Dawn»?! Is it so difficult for Your Highness?!” 

Anders stood in silence, gasping for air. 

“C-could you… explain?” he croaked. 

“Expl – So you didn’t even get it?!”

Dawn threw up her hands finally noticing a complete lack of understanding in her boss’s eyes. That somehow was even more bitter. Not only could he care less about her words – it turned out he didn’t even notice!

“Okay… fine… I'll explain,” she sighed, trying to calm down. “You were driving me nuts with your jokes... about a cat I never had! So, in retaliation, I decided to do the same. And you… you!!.. didn’t even pay attention!!”

She pouted and folded her hands, when all of a sudden Anders broke into a broad grin and laughed.

“Dawn, sunshine, that's all very fine and dandy but … I _do_ have a cat.”

“WHAT?”

“For a couple of weeks now. I was just on my way to feed him,” the blond looked at her with a completely innocent look on his face. 

"You serious?!"

"Yes!"

“So why didn’t you tell me?!” Dawn exclaimed, feeling her fists tighten involuntarily.

“I thought you knew! You’ve been talking about the cat all the time, and I thought you knew!” 

“Well…” she pursed her lips. “I see… Now I see… Didn’t expect it from you.” 

“Me neither. That just sort of… happened. You should’ve seen him, Dawn. So tiny, so helpless, my heart was torn. I couldn’t just leave him – ”

“Stop,” she said sharply interrupting Anders. “I got it. And I’m going with you.”

“What? Why?”

“I need to make sure you treat him well.” 

“Dawn, I’m an adult, I can take care of cats.” 

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

***

Anders was right – cats had an enormous impact on women. Dawn was playing with Barty for ten minutes straight, petting him and rubbing his belly. The kitten had no choice but to purr contentedly. 

“So, you see? Everything’s fine,” Anders sat next to her on the floor. “I got all the papers from the vet, bought him some proper food, vitamins and toys, so...”

“Hmm… Oddly enough, you treat animals better than people,” Dawn said, pointing at the fish tank too.

“It’s easier... to be around them,” the blond shrugged. He carefully took the kitten from her and put him on his lap. The soft fluffy ball vibrated quietly in his hands. How could one not love him?

“If you say so…”

“By the way, you know what I’ve been thinking?” he suddenly smirked.

“What?”

“We need to introduce your cat to mine!” 

“Anders!!!”


End file.
